ARE YOUR FRIENDS KEEPING YOU BROKE?

Since I can remember, I was always told, be careful who your friends are, because you will become like them.

Maybe that adage needs to be revisited. Only this time, consider who your friends are, because your income may become like theirs. In other words, your friends could be keeping you broke. And I’m here to say, your income will become like your friends.

Quick. Think of the four people you invest most of your time. Take their combined income and divide it by four and see how close it is to your income.

That’s what I mean by the question: Are your friends keeping you broke?

Now, consider the following and evaluate if your friends are keeping you broke.

BELIEFS – What do they believe about wealth? Or do they discuss increasing their income? If they only believe they need a higher income, then they have a broke mentality and will keep you broke, too.

READING – What do you friends read? Are your friends busy on Facebook or the latest Tweets? Are they reading only Sports Illustrated or People magazine? Or are they reading materials on wealth creation? Are they reading blogs on the four types of currency (if you don’t know what this is and if your friends don’t know what this is, you’re broke). The bottom line on READING is this – there are two things that will dramatically change your life – the people you choose to connect with and the books you read. What are your friends reading? What are you reading?

OCCUPATIONS – As I mentioned in the previous paragraph, there are four types of currency. If money is yours and your friends’ occupation, then you’re occupied on the wrong currency. I will discuss in a future blog what are the other forms of currency.

K – LEVEL – The symbol for potassium is K. Potassium is the element that makes plants grow and grow immensely. We see the results of potassium amongst plants when we apply fertilizer. Most fertilizers contain high amounts of potassium and this is what makes plants turn a rich green color and grow. Here’s a question: Do you friends spur you on to grow? Do they create an environment for you and others to grow, renew, and become better or do they tend to be apathetic, indifferent, even cynical? What level of K do your friends have? Do you have?

EMPLOYEE or ENTREPRENEUR – Now, this may be offensive. In fact, it will offend, but I need to ask you: Are your friends employees or are they entrepreneurs (or working towards becoming an entrepreneur)? If your friends are all employees or have the employee mindset, you are on the fast track to being broke. I say this, because it will be very difficult to build wealth with an employee mindest. I did not say impossible, but it will be very difficult, because no matter how much you earn in income, it will usually be consumed in higher spending. Your spending. And an employee mindset will keep you from becoming who you were designed to be; who you were meant to be; and what you were meant to do.

So, how are those who are wealthy different? That’s a good question. They are different on six levels.

WHY – The wealthy and those who are successful in their lives have a clear “WHY.” In other words, they have a vision that is clear, concise, and they are committed to it. Their “WHY” is what gets them out of bed in the morning and what keeps them going when the road gets rough. Their why is easy to understand by others and is the unifying factor amongst their team members.

EDUCATION – They see education, not as an accomplishment like getting a college degree (I am not knocking a college education) as much as they view it as a journey. They realize where they are deficient in wisdom and seek out experts in that field. Then, they either learn from their materials or seek to be personally mentored by that expert. They also see education as a currency. The more they know, the more value they are able to bring t0 a negotiation table or a business transaction. Knowledge can also bring the greatest ability in the w0rld – the wisdom to walk away from a deal he/she does not want or does not make good business sense.

ACTION – Successful and the wealthy are people of action. They don’t wait for opportunities; they get prepared (see EDUCATION), so when the opportunity arises, they are prepared and ready to take advantage of it. As the late, great Coach, John Wooden, said: If you wait for the opportunity to become prepared, it’s too late.”

LISTEN – Successful and wealthy people are great listeners. What more can be said, besides this: Are you?

TIME – Successful people see time as a currency worth more than money. They know money can be regained, if lost. But if time is wasted, that currency is dust in the wind and will never return and can never be regained. How do you view time? Ask any wealthy person and they will tell you time is a more valuable currency than money.

HELP – Allow me to “demythitize” something about the wealthy. In contrast to popular opinion, the wealthy use their wealth; they use their time; they use their money; and they use their knowledge to serve and help others. This attitude of gratitude for what they have and an attitude of humility puts them in a position of influence. And this influence is utilized to help and serve more people.

Review my list; make some adjustments in your friends and see what changes occur. So, what would you add to this list? What would you have not added? Do you agree with my observations or not? Let me conclude this article with a final thought…

If you can’t change your friends then change your friends.

Here’s to your wealth creation…

P.S. I enjoy Darren Hardy’s daily emails. This one just came to my inbox this week. How nice it is when someone you respect affirms what you have been thinking and blogging…